Excessive Carbs, Not Fats, Might Actually Be the Enemy of Health

A recent study developed by researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, might change the current diet guidelines. It suggests people should adopt moderate fat consumption and, instead, drop excessive carbohydrates from their diet. It seems that high carb intake is related to a higher death risk, while high fat intake is not.

Are fats really that bad for health?

Researchers performed an elaborate study, analyzing the condition of almost 135,000 people who came from 18 countries and five different continents. They discovered people should consume fruits, vegetables, and fats in a moderate amount, and reduce the amount of carbs in their diets. This can contribute to a significantly lower mortality risk.

Lately, researchers have started being skeptical regarding the relationship between fats and high mortality. The studies developed so far on the subject have had participants from America and Europe. Here, the population is more prone to excesses, and consumes the most fats. However, the same risk might not be applicable in poorer countries.

After so many years of recommending diets low in fats, excluding dairy or red meat, researchers reevaluated their theories. The previous guidelines might not actually be suitable to be applied to the entire population of the globe. For instance, people from certain countries didn’t consume much fats, but their diets were rich in carbs. This explains why they still had high mortality rates.

Carbs are the real culprit

The study doesn’t promote the complete elimination of carbohydrates from a diet. People should consume everything moderately, so people should concentrate on the most nutritious carbs, and include them in their diet. This means they should opt for more fruits and vegetables, and reduce pasta and bread consumption.

To know exactly how many fats and carbs a person should eat to be healthy, researchers need to perform more studies. Until then, it’s good to know that not fats are the biggest enemy, and everything is good if consumed with moderation.Image Source: Wikimedia Commons